Thomas Goughty (1778-1857).
My 5th great uncle.
Thomas was born in 1778 and baptised at St Swithin’s Church in Frettenham, Norfolk, on 11 October that year. His parents were Charles Goulty and Elizabeth Quantrel.
He grew up in the village and at some point met Sarah Russell, who came from Crostwick, Norfolk, a short way south of his home village. I’ve yet to find a marriage for them or a baptism record for her but they went on to raise a family.
On several of his children’s baptism records Thomas was described as a husbandman but by 1820 he was being listed as a public house keeper. The 1841 census showed that he was again an agricultural labourer but was living in Felthorpe, several miles to the north east of Crostwick, with two of their children. The couple were still there 10 years later with a grandson. This census showed that Sarah came from Postwick in Norfolk.
Thomas is likely the man found not guilty of larceny at the Norfolk County Sessions in Norwich on 3 January 1844, but I’ve not been able to locate any further information about the incident. He was aged 66 at the trial, which fits our man. It’s possible that he was also the victim of a highway robbery reported in the Norfolk Chronicle of 30 December 1848, although it’s possible that it was his son. This Thomas was stopped on the high road in Horsford and knocked down, his attacker stealing £1 12s and a bag of provisions in the process.
Thomas Snr died on 31 December 1857 and was buried in Felthorpe on 3 January 1858. Sarah lived on, listed there in the 1861 census, and died in November 1865. She was buried in the village on the 12th.
The couple had a number of children:
- Mary Goulty was born in 1804 and baptised in Little Plumstead, Norfolk. I assume she died young as…
- Mary Goulty, the second of the couple’s children to carry the name, was born in 1807 and baptised in Crostwick. I’ve not found her after this.
- Helen Goulty was born and baptised in 1809 in Crostwick but again disappears from the records.
- Sarah Ann Goulty was born in Crostwick in 1812 and buried there in 1814.
- George Goulty was born in Crostwick in 1814 and buried in Felthorpe in 1821.
- Charles Goulty was born in Crostwick in 1817 and served in the military, as the 1861 census lists him as a Chelsea Pensioner. By then he had married Elizabeth and was living in Heigham, Norwich. He died in the city in 1888.
- Sarah Ann Goulty was born and died in January 1819.
- Thomas Goulty was born in Felthorpe in 1820, worked mostly as an agricultural labourer but also did a stint as a seaman out of Great Yarmouth. He married Sarah and brought up his family in Felthorpe but he disappears after the 1871 census.
- Sarah Goulty was born in Felthorpe in 1822 and married coach painter Frederick Warner in 1847. They lived in Norwich until her death in 1899. He died in 1901. It appears they never had children.
Sources: BMDs, census and other records at Ancestry.co.uk, Familysearch.co.uk and Findmypast.co.uk. Records at Norfolk Family History Society